HHS awards cancer grant to UVA for "Health Innovation"

The University of Virginia in Charlottesville will receive $2.6 million to improve care for patients with advanced cancer. The program will integrate data from multiple sources to help improve quality of care, increase survival, and reduce costs. In addition to various aspects of care, the program includes a specific redesign of radiation therapy to provide highly effective single-day treatment for cancer that has spread to the bone.

The award was one of several nationwide for centers improving care and saving money. "Awardees were chosen for their innovative solutions to the health care challenges facing their communities and for their focus on creating a well-trained health care workforce that is equipped to meet the need for new jobs in the 21st century health system. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracted with an external organization with extensive experience in managing independent grant review processes to administer the award review process to ensure an objective review of each application."

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within CMS will administer the awards through cooperative agreements over three years.